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domingo, abril 23, 2006

You and Your Users, Marketing Together

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t seems nowadays, every marketing plan or media business strategy must have its share of user involvement. On the marketing side it goes from short film contests to photo-submission solicitations to pleas for help in crafting creative. For media companies, it's all about getting people to upload homemade videos, answer questions for other users or write in-depth reviews. In either case, businesses are making money by channeling people's natural desires to create, to connect and to share. It's undeniably the "in" thing to do.

I'm not knocking it. It's a great idea. Our own Dave Evans extolled the phenomenon recently, and Pete Blackshaw regularly makes known his fondness for consumer-generated media.

I just don't think it's a sure-fire path to success. Hosting a short film contest isn't unlike running an ad campaign -- it's all in the execution. Expecting users to generate the content you can build your media business upon isn't guaranteed, either. Are we sucking people dry by continually asking them to contribute their passion and creativity to further our marketing and advertising aims? Where does it stop?

Some thoughts about the pitfalls (and potential ways of hurdling them) of user involvement.
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You and Your Users, Marketing Together

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